A man once dubbed Sydney’s “most evil
husband” has lost his bid to sue police from his prison cell
over the investigation into the death of his second wife.

Thomas Andrew Keir today lost his District Court bid for up to $750,000
compensation for psychological damage he claims he suffered after
police detained him the day his second wife, Rosalina Canonisado, was
found strangled.

Keir was arrested on April 13, 1991 – the day his second wife
was found strangled in the couple’s burning home. In 1993, he
was acquitted of her murder.

He is serving a sentence for the murder of his first wife, Jean Keir.

Jean disappeared in February 1988 and Keir married Rosalina, her
cousin, the following year.

It was not until after Rosalina’s death that bones were
discovered in Keir’s Tregear backyard.

Keir has three times been convicted of murdering Jean. After his first
two convictions were overturned on appeal, he faced a third trial in
the NSW Supreme Court in 2004 and was again found guilty

He was sentenced in 2004 to 22 years’ jail for
Jean’s murder.

Keir’s lawyer, Peter Dooley, said Keir had gone with the
police to Mount Druitt to assist in the inquiry into
Rosalina’s death. He claimed that police breached
Keir’s rights during the ensuing seven hours.